1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a luminous button device that illuminates the periphery of a button, and an electronic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Operation buttons are provided in the operation panels of various electronic apparatuses. For example, operation buttons such as a power button, a recording button, and a play button are used to perform various operations. In recent years, an operation button has been introduced which emits light from the periphery of the button when a user presses down the operation button. For example, when the user presses down a recording button provided on a video recording apparatus, a predetermined color of light is emitted from the periphery of the recording button. Accordingly, the user may easily recognize that a video recording operation of the video recording apparatus is performed.
It is desirable that this kind of luminous button has a structure in which a non-transmissive button cap is bonded to a transmissive button base formed to surround the periphery of the button cap, and a light emitting element is provided on the rear surface side of the button base from the viewpoint of easy production and cost. According to the structure of the button, light emitted from the light emitting element reaches the front button surface while being transmitted through the inside of the button base, and is emitted from the periphery of the button cap.
As a method of bonding the two components, that is, the button cap and the button base formed of different types of materials, a fitting structure using a locking claw is known. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-106059 discloses a structure in which a pair of arm portions each having a locking claw formed at its front end is provided in one component, and the arm portions are inserted into an insertion hole provided in the other component so that both components are fitted to each other by the locking claws.